Recently Started Renting

MaccaHallam

I've just recently moved in at my friends house and I'm paying £275 a month to stay there which seemed fine at the time when I first moved. But recently I've been thinking I might be paying too much.

It's a 3 bedroomed house and rent in total is £550. There's 3 people including myself so rent each is £183.33. That leaves £91.67 a month on bills that I'm paying.

That seems too high, surely bills don't come to £270 a month? I've asked to see the bills they get but are being quite reluctant to show me.

They've also had a water bill that they pay twice a year, they want me to pay an additional £80 this month to cover that, I have seen that bill and it was around £240.

I've not got much experience with bills so maybe it's correct? Basically I think I might be paying more than my fair share.

michelle2008

Where does the extra money go? Does it sit in a dedicated account to cover bills?

BitterAndTwisted

Is the £275 you agreed to pay inclusive of bills or not? If it's inclusive why are you being asked to contribute one third of this water bill?

When you said you moved into a friend's house, what did you mean? That the other two are on the rental agreement but you are sub-letting or have you signed a separate agreement with the landlord?

MaccaHallam

I pay the £275 into my friends account. He deals with the rent and bills.

MaccaHallam

It's inclusive of bills but not the water bill.

Yeah the other two are on a rental agreement and I've just moved in as there was a room going spare.

barnaby-bear

MaccaHallam wrote: »

I've just recently moved in at my friends house and I'm paying £275 a month to stay there which seemed fine at the time when I first moved. But recently I've been thinking I might be paying too much.

It's a 3 bedroomed house and rent in total is £550. There's 3 people including myself so rent each is £183.33. That leaves £91.67 a month on bills that I'm paying.

That seems too high, surely bills don't come to £270 a month? I've asked to see the bills they get but are being quite reluctant to show me.

They've also had a water bill that they pay twice a year, they want me to pay an additional £80 this month to cover that, I have seen that bill and it was around £240.

I've not got much experience with bills so maybe it's correct? Basically I think I might be paying more than my fair share.

Sounds fairly ok - do you have the smallest or largest room, most house shares split the rent based on the quality/size of the room? Council tax will be £100+ a month, Gas/electric £80, Broadband £25, TV license £12.... I doubt they are making a huge profit but the convenience might be worth it.... did they pay the agency fees/credit checks etc... it does sound like a bit of sub-letting going on....

BitterAndTwisted

Is the £275 you agreed to pay inclusive of bills or not? If it is inclusive why are you being asked to contribute one third of this water bill?

In any case £275 a month plus £160 per annum for the water bill sounds really ruddy cheap to someone who lives in London. That's just over £65 a week all in, regardless of what they are paying to the landlord.

MaccaHallam

I've got the smallest box room.

Don't know about the agency fees/credit checks? I just moved in.

G_M

You have 3 choices:

1) Pay up and have an easy life (but swallow any hard feelings you have and focus on hetting on with your life)

2) Sit down with your 2 friends and discuss the rent in detail. Get a clear agreement (and then write it up) what the rent is, whether it includes ALL or SOME utilities, as well as any other household expenses (broadband? TV licence?). At same time discuss running costs (who buys/pays for loo paper or do you all keep your own? washing up liquid? shared kitchen basics like tea/coffee?)

If you don't clarify/agree all these things, resentment can quickly build up -as you are now finding!

3) move out

As a lodger (Excluded Occupier) you have few legal rights. But equally, few legal responsibilities, so you can leave without notice though it is probobly diplomatic to give notice (a week?) if that's what you decide to do.

Did you pay a deposit?

BitterAndTwisted

I suggest you tell your friends that as far as you're concerned your £275 a month was inclusive of bills, so you don't see why you should be contributing another £160 per annum towards the water bill. IF you negotiated that amount as inclusive of bills. What they are paying the landlord and what the bills actually cost is not your concern.

We weren't there when you agreed on the amount you should pay them, so we can't say whether what you're being asked to pay is fair or not.

MaccaHallam

Thanks for the advice. I suppose it's just that I've not moved out before and I was eager to move.

I didn't pay a deposit. I did agree to the amount a month so guess I should just get on with it or move out.